Timer



J. A. HOLM. T|MER.-

APPLICATION FILED DEC.10, 1918.

1,427,594. PatentedAug.29,1922,

' the nii il in UNITED sTA'rgs JOHN A. nomi/i, or ALBANY. new roma, iissieiveiz. 'ro BLUBLAzE'ivIbToR sriicinmms l conf., or LONG ISLAND crrnivnw YORK, ii eoiwoniirion or NEW Yonx.

- Triana.

T0 ZZ/whom# may concern: A i

Be it known that l., Joli-NA. HoLM, a citizen ot the United States,` and residentv of .tlbanypy county ot `Albany, State ot New York, haveinvented an Improvement in Timers, otwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, drawings representing like parts the several views. l 1

This `invention `relates'to timers such as employed control the ignition in multiple '.ylinder internal combustion engines and while having' `other and more general `tields ot usefulness is well adapted sind .designed for use in the ignition system' ot the well known 'F ord type ot automobile-- Oneprincipal object ot the invention is to provide an .improved timer` construction wherein more in each ot' ceiu'fain and reliable contacte and hence a i better ignition is obtained 'by reason ofk the fact that the contacts are so disposed and arranged that they are'not apt to become ilouled by oil or like lubricant, the, present timer being in tact adapted to operate pert'ecVy and to best advantage without any lu bricant. whatever within. Further, in accordance with my invention'tlie .contacting suriaresare laterally arranged, i.v e.` in a plane` ot the timer shzi'ft instead oit"` per iplie re lly and hence n more even and smooth movement ot the brush member with respect to the` sta- .tionarv contacts vis obtained so that the wear onfihe contactii par! is evenly distributed and the objection which has hitherto arisen iroin uneven motion and cutting into the surface et the raceway. is eliminated, the present timer being,l hencev also much more quiet and steadyin operation than previous types. A iturthei' object is to provide an im proved airangeinent''ofl the terminal connections whereby tlfiese may bey connected to C all on to be more ieadi from fouling. by present arrangement also bei" i; such that the `binding `posts fory terminals on the 'top ol" the timer are connectedto the suce sive ',ffaccessible an'l also tree stationary contacts soy as tobein regular order. thus simplifying,-` the connecting; up thereof by the wiring. A further obj ect is to provide improved means wherebythe adjustment .et the timer housingI to` advance or retard the spark does not disarrange the.

Application ledDecember 10,1918. Serial No. 266,142.

like I characters on they has heretofore been usual the top of the timer so oil ,dripping` thereon, the` .wiringlleadingthereto. A `The foregoing and other objects and advantages oi the invention vill more fully lappear trom; the following; `detailed description', and'` the distinctive "Features ot-novelty .will be pointed out in the appended claim= i. Q A

.Referring to thefdrawings:

Figi `1 is an inner `end" view of a timery constructed in accordance with my invention, the timer shaft being shown in section;

Fiezl 2 is a lengthwise vertical section i thereof, the movable Contact and its mounting being,` sliownin elevation.; Y, o

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 oi Fig; 2; l l y Fig'.V el is a2 detail section on line 4-4 ot rigi- Fig. 5 is a detail elevationy of the movable contactc'arrier arm removed.; and f Figz is a detail elevation ot a sleeve ttino,- Within said carrier arm.V

- The,k present timer housing or shell. 10 is ot atorm generally similar to, and externally substantially identical with that ot the `presyent standard Ford timer, hav'ii'ig` the usual pertorated lunl 1Ga tolv receive the connection tor anleularly shittingA said shell `to advance or retard tlie spark and with the usual ,outer socket` head 10` against which the spring presser membentnot shown) acts to hold the timer shell; einst its seat, metallic shell in accordance 'with my. invention l not and mount en annulns 11 ot hard liberoiother like-,insulating material adapted to provide seats for the iixed contacts.

This annulus preferably has the outer pon' tion ol its rear tace beveled as indicated at lQUt-o fit with Aa correspondingly toi-ined seat at the .oit the shell, whilebetween the inner eiidportion of' said annulus and the shell l [it a fiber or like insulatingy washer 13, the purpose of termino; such washer as a s: rate nienfiber'being to permit convenient. mounting ot, andaccess to the circuit con nections now' to be described. ln4 accordance with my invention `the fixedk contacts are mounted in, this fiber` annulus so as to present their operativesurfaces in a plane transverse ot tho timer shaltv For this purpose the annulus is rebated trom its inner side to form a transverse or vertical wall 14 and quadrantally spaced sockets-are termed in thev an nulus extending' inward troinsuch wall to provide mountings tor the iixed Contact pins llllithin this to the binding` 15, 16 of these Contact blocks have screwed directly tlrereinto the binding post terminals 19, these terminals passing through a fiber or like insulating bushing- 2O set into the shell. The outer ends of these binding posts are, in accordance with my invention, provided with ball heads 19a on which are movably fitted sockets 21 having pivot- .connections 22 extending therefrom to which are connected arms 23 with circuit Wire connections. By virtue of the pivoting permitted in the ball and socket joints 19a-21 and at the pivots 22, the angular turnino of the timer shell for the advance and retar ing of the spark is taken care of, so that little if any shifting or disarrangement of the wires engaged with the connections 23 results. In accordance with my invention the binding; posts for the two lower contacts 17, 18 are mounted on the upper quadrant of the timer shell, and preferably so that the successive contacts around the timer are represented by binding posts successively arranged on the top of the timer shell. For this purpose thelower contact blocks 17, 1S are set into shouldered seats 2d of the amnilus with. binding stems 25 extending therefrom which are engagedY by wire or strip connections 26. The `wire or strip connections 2G extend in arcuate recesses 27 at `the back oi: the alnnulus upward and past the respective upper contacts `15, 16 to be clamped to blocks 28 set into the annulus but not extending to the surface of the wall '14, as seen in Fig. 4t. These blocks 28 have threaded thereinto binding posts 29, 30 respectively 'which are mounted similarly posts 19 and likewise have ball heads $31 similar to the heads 19L and likewise engaged with sockets and pivot connections 2l, 22 already described. The re; esscs 27 I ireierably open at the back of the annulus 'l1 and are closed by the insulating washer 13 which is i'itted to the back thereof. The carrier arm 32 oi the rotary contact has slidably fitted therein a contact button which .is pressed against the fixed ccntactsby a leaf' spring;` 5A; secured at its inner end to said arm and having' its outer end 'forked and slipped over a reduced neck of said button. as indicated at 35. This ontact button is preferably of steel while Vthe fixed contact blocks may be of bronze or like n'ietala The arm 32 `is iormed with a sleeve 36 which lits over acollar 87 adapted to be fitted on the end el the timer shaft The collar 37 has a flange 37 at one end thereof formed with a series of radial notches into a selective one of which is adapted to encage finger or prong H6 on the sleeve'o whereby the arm 32 maf,v be

adjusted 'with rcterence to the collar so as to bring the movable contact into correct operative relation with the fixed contacts. The sleeve 36 is preferably split and engaged by a clamp screw 39 'for clamping the same rigidly to the collar 37. For holding the collar 37 on the shaft 38 a cotter pin ll() extending through a radial slot at the end of the shaft 3S engages in registering; slots in the end of said collar and is held from displacement by a washer 41. which is of so1ne.'=.'hat greater diameter than the length of said cotter pin and is formed with a seat into which said pin lits, so that the ends o'l the pin engage the peripheral edge portion of said washer and the pin is thus provided from endwise sliding'. The washer t1 is retained in place on the end o't the shaft by a clamp nut l2 as usual.

The timer of the present invention dispenses with any requirement for :internal lubrication, the need for which has caused the fouling of the contacts in previous timers of this type, The described arrangement of the contacts, and terminals, with the connections from -the two lower fixed contacts brought up past the adjacent upper Contact to binding; posts at the top oi the timer shell', not only makes the Wiring connections more convenient and accessibleland not aptto be fouled by lubricant, but permits the disposition of the successive contacts one after another in a line at the top oi the timer housingso that proper connection with their respective wires is insured without any particular or attention to this end. .l am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingl Yfrom the spirit or essential attributes thereof.y and l thereilore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illust 'ative and not restrictive, reference beingE had to the appended claim rather than .te the foregoing` description to indicate the scope oi the invention.

Having described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Let-ters Patent is:

A n ignition timer comprisingl a housing'. an insulatingl annulus litted therein, a plurality ot spaced `fixed contacts mounted in said annulus, a sha-ift extending into said lansing, a collar fixed on the end of said shaft and ha ving a flange at one end formed with a series or radial notches, an arm carrya movable contact .and provided with a sleeve fitting` over said collar and having; a inpjer to engage said notches in the collar.

ln testimony whereot, l have signed inv .name to 'this specification JGHN A. HOLM. 

